Nicolai Højgaard (born 12 March 2001) is a Danish professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour and European Tour. In 2021, he and his twin brother, Rasmus, became the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on the European Tour. He also was part of the winning European 2023 Ryder Cup team.
Amateur career
Højgaard was part of the Danish team that won the 2017 European Boys Team Championship, beating the hosts Spain in the final.[2]
Højgaard had a successful 2018. In April he won a professional tournament, the Bravo Tours Open on the Nordic Golf League. In June he was second in the individual competition for the boys Toyota Junior World Cup, four strokes behind his brother Rasmus.[3] Denmark also won the team competition.[4] Two weeks later he won the European Amateur, a win that gained him an entry to the 2018 Open Championship. In September he was part of the Danish team that won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy for the first time. He played for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup later in September and in October he represented Denmark in the Youth Olympic Games.
In September 2021, Højgaard won his first European Tour event at the DS Automobiles Italian Open winning by one shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and Adrian Meronk. His twin brother Rasmus had won the week before at the Omega European Masters, meaning that the Højgaard twins became the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on the European Tour.[5]
Højgaard picked up his second European Tour victory in February 2022 at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. He shot 24 under par for four rounds, beating Jordan Smith by four shots.[6]
In April 2024, Højgaard played in his first ever Masters Tournament. Playing alongside the world number one Scottie Scheffler on Saturday, he briefly took the solo lead with a birdie on the tenth hole before finished up the round with five straight bogeys. He finished the tournament tied for 16th.[8]
Personal life
Højgaard's twin brother Rasmus is a professional golfer and was also part of the Danish team that won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy.[9]